You don't have to be a professional carpenter to come across stripped screws. In fact, if you're stripping screws, you're probably not a carpenter. Also, you should throw a little back into your screw twists. And if that fails, try these friendly stripped screw removing tips from the DIY experts at Stack Exchange.

Answer: Pliers, Duh

I've found a pair of vise-grip pliers work great, as long as the screw isn't buried all the way. Just clamp down around the head and start turning. Keep in mind, this method might damage the wood around the screw as the jaws of the vise grip scrape the surface.